The design of indoor telescopic seating systems (“bleachers”) has evolved over the 65+ years since they were originally introduced and many of those design changes were driven by the need to improve safety. Specifically designated access-aisles in bleachers were one of the safety improvements. Before that enhancement people were forced to enter on and egress from a bleacher, across and on top of the seats themselves. Early access-aisles were referred to as “seat-level aisles” with an aisle way created by a walking surface constructed behind a seat at the same level as the seat in designated aisle areas. In such bleachers there were typically no front steps so the first step from the gym floor to the first seat-level aisle was at the first seat level, typically at 16″ or greater.
Following the introduction of seat-level aisles, “foot-level aisles” were introduced in which the seats were totally removed in designated access-aisles and a person stepped from one deck up to the next—typically a rise of about 10″ or 12″. Again, with this generation of bleachers, the first step from the gymnasium floor to the first deck was at a height of about 10″ to 12″ above the floor. The building codes were eventually changed to require an “intermediate aisle step” mounted in the access-aisle on each deck to insure that the maximum riser height of any step on the bleacher did not exceed 8″. Typically the step heights were about 5″ to 6″ (half of the bleacher deck rise: 10″ to 12″). As a result of this code change limiting step risers to 8″, a separate step was installed in front of the first row of seating and protruded onto the gymnasium floor. FIG. 1 illustrates a bleacher having a separate front-aisle step 100 and depicts how front-aisle steps are installed in almost all bleachers currently being deployed in the United States and many other countries.
Known front-aisle steps are usually a component that is separate from the bleacher system and placed in front of the bleacher. Consequently, such front-aisle steps must be individually positioned in front of the bleacher after the bleacher is opened and must be removed when the bleacher is closed. If a bleacher includes 6-10 aisles, then a front-aisle step must be separately positioned for each of the aisles. When not in use, the front-aisle steps are often stored in closets or in bleacher-storage positions. It is not uncommon for the front-aisle steps to be installed incorrectly, neglected to be installed or misplaced. The absence of a front-aisle step presents a safety hazard as well as a violation of current building codes. Persons exiting the bleacher may not be aware of the absence of the front-aisle step and suffer an injurious fall given the unexpected drop from the first deck to the gymnasium floor. Even when installed correctly, traditional front-aisle steps protrude from the front of the bleacher onto the gymnasium floor and may present a tripping hazard for spectators or coaches walking in front of the bleacher, or for athletes or other persons using the gymnasium. Consequently, even when the front-aisle steps are installed, it has been observed that, at times, they have subsequently been removed.
For the above reasons it would be desirable for a bleacher to have a construction that would comply with current building codes while avoiding the above-described disadvantages associated with the use of front-aisle steps that protrude outward from the front edge of a bleacher.